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South Africa: Unions Bid to Halt Zimbabwe Arms Ship
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Business Day (Johannesburg)
22 April 2008
Posted to the web 22 April 2008
Chantelle Benjamin
Johannesburg
CIVIL society and labour movements yesterday increased pressure on SA and neighbouring governments to stop a consignment of arms and ammunition on a Chinese ship from being delivered to Zimbabwe.
The Southern African Litigation Centre (SALC), which won a court bid last week to impound the arms, sent letters yesterday to the justice and defence ministries calling on them to uphold the Durban High Court judgment and dispatch the navy to impound the goods.
Another appeal for urgent action was made by John Smyth of Justice Alliance SA, who warned that the high court order would lapse on Friday.
SALC spokeswoman Nicole Fritz said the Chinese-owned ship, An Yue Jiang, was low on fuel and travelling very slowly in South African waters off the Cape coast.
"We have been tracking the ship and it is within South African waters and travelling without the required permit," she said. "The navy is doing nothing to stop this ship, which left Durban harbour illegally on the night of April 18."
Fritz said the Defence Act specifically provided for law-enforcement powers of the defence force at sea.
"If they do not stop the ship, knowing that it is within South African waters and in breach of South African law, they provide tacit support and assistance for the transfer of these arms, knowing that they are likely to be used in the commission of the worst sort of human rights violations in Zimbabwe."
She said there was an indication the ship might try to dock in Walvis Bay, Namibia, to refuel before proceeding to Lobito, Angola, from where the arms would be flown to Zimbabwe.
The Namibian Legal Assistance Centre has assured the SALC it will oppose any effort by the ship to dock. Should the ship not stop there, it is expected to reach Angola by the weekend.
The London-based International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said yesterday they were mobilising unions in China and Africa, including those in Angola, to take a firm stand and to stop the ship from offloading its cargo of weapons. The ITF, which consists of more than 650 unions, representing 4,5-million workers in 148 countries, is believed to have been instrumental in Mozambique's refusal allow the ship to dock in Maputo after ITF affiliate the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) asked it to intervene.
An ITF spokesman in Durban, Sprite Zungu, indicated yesterday he was expecting information about the final destination of the ship by tomorrow and would fly to that country to speak to the authorities there.
Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said yesterday Cosatu had been in contact with all its affiliates and was "doing everything possible to alert the international trade union movement to the danger to the workers of Zimbabwe if the cargo is allowed to be unloaded and delivered to Mugabe's forces".
The vessel, carrying millions of rounds of AK-47 ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades and mortar rounds, all intended for the Zimbabwe Defence Force, slipped away last Friday for an unknown destination after a court order impounding the weapons was issued by the Durban High Court.
However, last night, defence ministry spokesman Themba Gadebe said the ship was not in SA's territorial waters.
Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe yesterday a recount of ballots from the March 29 elections continued amid fears by opposition parties that the ruling Zanu (PF) was attempting to rig the results and reverse the opposition winning control of parliament. Recounts are being held in 23 of 210 constituencies despite a court challenge by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), whose leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has claimed victory in the presidential poll.
And despite a call by Tsvangirai last week for President Thabo Mbeki to step down as mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis, the Mauritian prime minister said yesterday regional leaders wanted Mbeki to continue. Navin Ramgoolam confirmed a meeting of the Southern African Development Community in Mauritius had asked Mbeki to carry on mediating.
In Germany, African National Congress president Jacob Zuma adopted a softer tone towards the Zanu (PF) government after a week of criticism, saying it was an integral part of the solution and was "a fraternal liberation movement and an ally".
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With Hajra Omarjee and Dumisa Muleya
It is so galling to see the store shelves empty in Zimbabwe, its people starving, 80% unemployment, 1000% inflation, and Robert Mugabe and his clique emptying Zimbabwe's treasury to buy arms and ammunition even though the country doesn't face any external invasion threat. It is however apparent from statements made by the chiefs of the army and the police before the election that they "Will not allow anybody who was not part of the guerrilla war against the apartheid to become president -even if they won the election," that Mugabe's clique is planning to stay in... [Read Full Text]
Zimbabwe’s political panorama has become a triangle of despair anchored by three pillars, Mugabe’s de-colonial institution, the Observatory Electorate and Tsvangirai’s western backers. My assessment is unfortunately sparked off by witnessing why Mugabe is so hard headed? Where is Tsvangirai’s electorate and why he doesn’t trust it and why Tsvangirai is always with western backers? Why the electorate has been reduced to be spectators of their own destiny? We discuss politics in public transport, beer halls, churches, sports/family gathering and when we meet friends here in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is receiving wars and crisis thrown from all international angles we are... [Read Full Text]
In times of strife in any nation, when the elders of the land have lost their way and behave foolishly, one must turn to the truth of the living God for understanding and discernment to know what is taking place behind the closed doors of power.
Heavenly father, we pray for the young people of Zimbabwe in this hour. We ask your blessing on their lives and for the preservation of their souls. Father, help them to understand their history and the current circumstance of their country and resepctive nations Shona, Ndebele, and other groups etc. May they understand their... [Read Full Text]
Zim is in crisis and Mbeki does nothing,his pretense at being an international or african statesman is totally meaningless.Mugabe is a meglomaniac and will kill and torture his own people to retain power in a bankrupt country,destroyed by his inability to govern.Zuma is an uneducated lout singing for his machinegun,God help SA if he becomes president.America the shining light of democracy will do nothing because there is no money to be made.Ha Ha whats new and exiting on the block today? Nothing same old murder and mayhem as per usual.That is the reality of the situation.As long as the people... [Read Full Text]
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